Aide charged with manslaughter after resident’s fatal fall at nursing home

A nursing home aide was charged with reckless manslaughter Friday for failing to seek emergency care for a patient who later died after suffering a head injury, said acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II.

Certified Nursing Assistant Monique Beaucejour, 46, of Bloomfield found the 85-year-old resident on the floor of her room Tuesday afternoon at the Waterview Center in Cedar Grove, Stephens said. But instead of seeking help, Beaucejour first told authorities another resident caused the injuries, he added.

Investigators determined, however, that Beaucejour had placed Fannie McClain in bed and “returned to the room later and acted as if she just discovered her injured," Stephens’ announcement said.

The Waterview Center, owned by Genesis Healthcare, Inc. operating in 29 states, is “fully cooperating” with the investigation, said the nursing home’s spokeswoman Christine Emrick.

“Several days ago, we received a report of an incident involving a resident. We no longer believe that this is a resident-to-resident assault. We now believe this was an isolated incident involving a staff member who is no longer employed at the facility,” according to Emrick’s statement.

“We are very concerned about this incident as the safety and well-being of our patients and residents is our highest priority here at Waterview Center,” she said, declining further comment.

McClain was formerly a resident of Bloomfield before she moved to the Waterview Nursing Home, the prosecutor said. She was taken by ambulance to Mountainside Hospital at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 13 and was pronounced dead at 2:08 the same day.

McClain’s 62-year-old daughter, Fangela McClain, said she had previously raised concerns about her mother’s care and said the nursing home did not have enough staff to adequately care for all of the patients. She said her mother, who had dementia, had fallen previously and another time she sprained her ankle.

In addition to reckless manslaughter, the prosecutor charged Beaucejour with hindering, obstruction and neglect of the elderly, Stephens said. A hearing is scheduled Wednesday before state Superior Court Judge John I. Gizzo.

Waterview Center was among nine New Jersey nursing homes and 400 nationwide which were rated “much below average” for continuing health and safety violations. U.S. Senators Pat Toomey, R-Pennsylvania, and Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania released the list in June to draw more attention to the federal government’s lack of oversight and disclosure of nursing homes with deficient records. The nine nursing homes the nursing homes face possible designation by the federal government as a “Special Focus Facility,” subjecting them to increased scrutiny.